Zoo and Our Dog

I really love the Timehop App, every day I open it up to see what fun things happened in years past. Oftentimes there is nothing very exciting. Other days it is completely full of awesomeness. For example, last year at this time we took a trip to Florida, so there have been lots of fun pictures to reminiscence over.

In addition to the Florida pictures, something else has been showing up with frequency. Apparently, this is the time of year we visit the zoo. After seeing pictures over several days this week I decided it was time to continue the tradition and make a 2018 visit. Last year, we had to go to see the new baby panda. And I was anxious to see how he had grown. So, on Saturday morning, we hired a dog sitter and set out for DC. Much to Luke's annoyance, we opted to drive rather than take the train. It was very hard for him to have a good time after that major disappointment.

This has been the rainiest winter I think I've ever experienced. We often have a lot of rain in early Spring, but this is the first year I can recall so much rain this time of year. Our yard is a mud pit and we are extremely tired of it. However, the day at the zoo was the first weekend day in a while with nice weather and it was wonderful to be outside. And, of course, the pandas did not disappointment. I love them so much! It makes me happy just thinking about it. Kara's favorite area is small mammals, Jack loves the Ape House and no trip is complete for Anna without a stop in Amazonia. We made sure to hit everyone's favorites (except Luke, who only wanted to see the metro train and did not understand why we couldn't ride it home). Regardless, we had a great time! We packed a lunch and enjoyed walking around outside seeing all the animals. It wasn't very crowded and with the exception of the Asia Trail, the animals were active.

Isn't he adorable?

Kara spotted the creature in the tree

This bird flew right next to Kara, caught her a bit off guard, but she recovered enough for a picture.

Other than our zoo trip, it has been a quiet time in our house. Between the new puppy and the near constant rain, we haven't really done much. We have made a new tradition to visit Café Rio on Friday nights, which has been fun. Of course, the tradition is only two weeks old, but so far so good. Although, we may switch it up to Tuesdays because that is cheap burrito/salad day. We certainly love having it so close by, hopefully nobody gets sick of it anytime soon!

As I have mentioned the adjustment to life with a dog has been difficult. I didn't quite grasp the idea that a puppy is a lot like a toddler. And, I knew it would be a lot of work, but I guess I didn't realize just how much. As anyone who knows me knows, I have never wanted a dog. I LOVE traveling and going away on the weekends, or at least leaving early in the day and coming home late at night. We have 4 kids and full-time jobs. Adding a dog into our mix was pure insanity. And, I decide to undo it. I found a rehoming group and posted an ad. Within hours I had many, many interested people. After all, who, other than me, wouldn't want such an adorable puppy? I had the kids on board and Thomas was willing. We convinced ourselves it would be better for everyone, including Gus. He is young and would adapt easily. But, when push came to shove, it just didn't feel right. We have grown attached to our little fluff ball. So, we have decided to keep him. It's only about 12 years of our lives. Ugh!